Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-12-15
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TIE FIRST 1--WE o0UErIKs.
We have already noticed the erection of
Washington, Hamilton, Wayne and Adams
counties. jefferson was the hfth county es-
tablished ia Ohio. Il was erected By procia-
mSAon of Gov. st. Clair, July %, 1871. Its
original limits included the county west Of
Pennsylvania, east Of the Cuyahoga, and
north of the Muskingum.
One Of the earliest settlements in the coun-
ty was at Old Mingo Town, three miles be-
low SteubenviIle. Other Temporary settle
ments have been mentioned in Chapter Nv.
The Old Mingo Town was the point Of
rendezvous for Col. Williamsom's troops IN
the infamous campaign against the Morayian
Indians on the Tuscarawas, and of those OF
Col. Crawford in his unfortunate expedition
against the Sandusky Indians. Of which we
shall treat anon, in considering Sandusky
county. twas also, at one time, the resi-
dence of
LOGAN, CHIEF OF THE N1No0Es,
whose name is familiar to every schoolboy
acquainted with his famous speech. His
form was striking and manly and his mag
nanimity and eloquence have seldom been
equalled. He was the son of the Cayuga
Chief, Skikellimus, who dwelt in Shamokin.
Penn, in 1742, and was converted to Chris
tianity by the Moravian missionaries
Skikellimus highly esteemed James Logan,
the Secretary of the Province, named his son
for him, and probably had him baptised by
the missionaries. In early life, Logan for
awhile dwelt in Pennsylvania. Logan took
no part in the old French war which ended in
1760, except that of peace-maker, and was
always the friend of the white people until
the base murder of his family, to which has
been attributed the origin of Lord Dun
more's war. This murder took place near
the mouth of Yellow creek, seventeen miles
above Steubenville, in the spring Of the year
1774.
srEUBENvILLE STARTED.
Steubenville was laid out in 1873, by
Beazaleel Wells and the Hon. James Ross, of
Pennsylvania, from whom Ross county, in
this State, was named. Mr.. Ross attained
high honor, but Mr.. Wells died poor, after
having been at one time considered the most
wealthy person in Eastern Ohio. On the 14th
of February, 1906, the town was incorporat-
ed.
Ross county was formed by proclamation
of Gov. st. Clair, August 20, 1898, being the
sixth county formed in the Northwest Terri
tory Col. Thomas Worthington was ap-
pointed by Gen. Rufus Putnam as Surveyor
General of the Northwest Territory; and
Mai. Langham and Mr.. John Matthews were
appointed TO survey the residue of the lands
ON which Chillicothe was laid out. Chilli |
cothe appears to have been favorite name |
with the Indians for their towns, there hav-
ing been several of that name. Col. John
Johnston says: "Chillicothe is the name of |
one of the principal tribes of the Shawanoese.
The Shawanoese would say, Chillicothe |
Otany, that is, Chillicothe Town. The
Wyandots would say for Chillicothe Town,
Tat-a-ra-ra Do-tia, or town of the leaning |
bank"
PRIMITIVE CHILLIC0THE.
When the surveyors arrived there we're but |
four shingle roof houses in the town, on one
Of which the shingles were fastened with
pegs Col Worthington's was then the only
house in town with glass windows. The sash
of the hotel was filed with creased paper
Doctor Tifin and wife were the first
Methodists that resided in the valley. He
was local preacher. Chillicothe was the
point from which the settlements in the
valley diverged. In May, 1898, a postofdce
was established at Chillicothe. and Joseph
Tifin was chosen postmaster. He and
Thomas Gregg opened taverns; the first bore
the sign General Anthony Wayne" and the
last ssThe Green Tree" In 1901 Nathaniel
Wills moved in and established the Scioto
Gazette.
In 1900 the seat of government of the
Northwest Territory was removed from
Cincinnati to Chiliicothe by act of Congress.
The sessions that year and the following year
were held in small two-story, hewed-log
house which had been erected in 1898. In
the upper room of the main building was a
billiard table, and a resort for gamblers; the
lower room was used by the Legislature, as a
court room, as church and as a singing
school. Truly, circumstances make strange
bed-fellows. In the war of 1912 this building
was rendezvous and barracks for soldiers.
and in 1910 it was razed to the ground. The
old State House was commenced the same
year, 1900, and finished the following year
it is believed to have been the first public
stone edifics erected in the Territory. The
Territorial Legislature held their session in
it for the first time in 1901. The convention
that formed the State constitution was held
in it in April, 1902 The first State sessions
of 1901, and 1S11-12 were held at Zanes-
vile, and from there removed back to Chilli
cothe, and continued in this house until 1916
when Columbus became
THE PERMANENT CAPITAL OF THE STATE.
This time-honored edifice was then for
long time used as court house for the coun- Ii
ty. Chillicothe was incorporated January 4,
1902. In the war Of 1912 Chillicothe was a /,
rendezvous for United States troops, station
ed at Camp Bull, stockade, one mile north
Of the town. "a large number of British
prisoners, several hundred in number, were )
at one time confined at the camp. On one
occasion. a conspiracy was formed between
the soldiers and their officers who were con-
fined in the camp, in Jail. The plan was for
the privates to disarm their guard, proceed i
TO the Jail, relase the officers, burn the town
and escape to Canada. The conspiracy was /
disclosed by two senior British officers, Is
d Hs M f. ~